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Monday, March 23, 2009

This is Prescott College

Hello! My name is Suzy, and I am a student primarily in the Education and Human Development programs here at the school, although I have taken some Environmental Studies and Cultural and Regional Studies classes as well (gotta be well rounded, right?). I am particularly interested in something called “Ecopsychology,” a field which aims to connect people to each other and to the more-than-human world in a mindful way.

Ecopsych is a holistic psychology which sees people and their psyches as extending beyond their fingertips, and into their relationships. I see Ecopsych as about reconnecting to the natural world, which is healing to everything, although I also see it as about reconnecting to other humans. In particular, I think that it has incredible power as a decolonizing methodology.

My “competence” (Prescott College lingo for “major”) is in Multicultural Education. My teacher, Anita, has really inspired me down this road. I first took Foundations of Education with her, a class I expected to be fairly straightforward and dry…but no! Every Anita class is steeped in themes of social justice, so we went through every category of ethnicity in the United States and their relationship in history to the education system. It was incredibly revealing, to say the least. I then took a class called “Rethinking Our Classrooms: Race, Power and Identity in Education” with her, which was really amazing as well. We spent a lot of our focus on what it means to be educators who identify as white, particularly when our students are not. We reflected on our identities and those of people who have had to live in a culture that is not equitable or supportive of them. In particular, we discussed topics of race, language, gender, sexuality, ability and class. To finish it off, we had the opportunity to work with the Paulo Freire Freedom School (a middle school in Tucson) on overcoming stereotypes. Whether I end up being a teacher or not, the class was so valuable to me, and I find myself coming back to it every day.

So this is where I am right now. I have really been enjoying getting my education here. And now it’s time for Spring Break!

Links We Love

Matt Seats

Competence: Wilderness Leadership (Adventure Education)Breadth: Environmental Studies (Land Management Policy)Favorite Place: I really enjoy Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, but Rum Point in Grand Cayman and the jungles and cloud forests in the Chiriqui region of Panama are pretty amazing too!On My Days Off I Like To: Rock climb, write, bike, hike, kayak and otherwise spend time outdoors.After I Graduate: I hope to split my time between teaching/instructing in the field, working on land management policy research and issues at the Bureau of Land Management (or other land management agency), and guiding international expeditions.

Amanda August

Competence: Human Development

Breadth: Cultural and Regional Studies; Adventure Education

My Favorite Place: Recently I traveled to Seattle and Rainier Nat'l Park and absolutely loved it. I also worked in the Sierra Nevadas last year and can't wait to get back this coming summer and explore more!

On My Days Off I Like To: Hiking/Climbing/Cycling, Check out what's new at the Picture Show, Tinker with projects, Letterboxing, Traveling with friends.

After I Graduate: Continue on to get my Masters, working in Non Profits serving under served Youth, invoking systemic change while promoting experiential education as a basic academic necessity. Canoe the Yukon. Travel South America. Open a brewery. You know, do it all.

Hannah Jean Marshall

Competence: A double competence in Wilderness Leadership with an emphasis in Gender studies, and The Political Economy and Social Justice Favorite place: Where ever I find my adventureOn My Saturdays Off I Like To: See what the day brings...

After I Graduate: I will be a rock star

Ruby Teegarden

Competence: Environmental PolicyBreadth: Music EducationFavorite Place: San Francisco/BerkeleyOn my Saturdays off I like to Read, be in the sun, cook yummy foodAfter I graduate I plan on making our food systems more sustainable, among other things.